# Kim Sang-joong

Kim Sang-joong (born August 6, 1965) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for starring in the television dramas My Husband's Woman (2007), City Hunter (2011), and The Chaser (2012). He won the Grand Prize at the MBC Drama Awards for his performance in the historical television series The Rebel (2017).

## Career

Before becoming an actor, Kim Sang-joong was enlisted in the Marine Corps. But after graduating from Dongguk University with a degree in Theater and Film, he embarked on an acting career at age 25. Kim made his acting debut in the stage play I Love Bread in 1990, and was one of the co-founders of the theater troupe Extreme Legend. He soon transitioned to film and television, and became known for his distinctive voice and confident and charismatic acting, often as morally ambiguous characters. Among his notable roles in television dramas include a middle-aged man having an affair with his wife's best friend in My Husband's Woman (2007), the titular besieged monarch in Eight Days, Assassination Attempts against King Jeongjo (2007), a former agent who trains his foster son as a weapon in his plans for revenge in City Hunter (2011), and a presidential candidate willing to go to any lengths to win, including murder and cover-up, in The Chaser (2012).
On the big screen, Kim was praised for his comic acting in the gangster comedy My Boss, My Teacher (2006), and has also starred in arthouse films directed by Hong Sang-soo, such as The Day He Arrives (2011) and Our Sunhi (2013).
Since 2008, Kim has hosted Unanswered Questions, a long-running program with a similar format to Unsolved Mysteries.

## Personal life

Kim is the third child among six siblings, and has two brothers and three sisters. He married in 1991, but he and his wife divorced in 1999. They have one son, born in 1993.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1991 | Money, Money, Money | Jung-ah |
| 1992 | The Love War | Charlie Brown |
| 1996 | Grown-ups Grill the Herring | Bae Hyun-soo (cameo) |
| 1997 | Maria and the Inn | Ki-tae |
| 2000 | The Promenade | Lee Young-hoon |
| 2000 | Anarchists | Han Myung-gon |
| 2000 | Jakarta | Hae-ryong |
| 2001 | My Boss, My Hero | Doo-shik's boss (cameo) |
| 2002 | An Unlikely Farewell (short film) | |
| 2006 | My Boss, My Teacher | Oh Sang-jung |
| 2006 | Hanbando | Emperor Gojong |
| 2006 | Holy Daddy | Jang Seok-jo/Angel |
| 2006 | Flushed Away | Le Frog (voice, Korean dubbed) |
| 2008 | Like Father, Like Son | Tae-soo |
| 2009 | City of Damnation | Yang Kwang-seob |
| 2011 | The Day He Arrives | Young-ho |
| 2013 | Our Sunhi | Choi Dong-hyun |
| 2019 | The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos | Oh Gu-tak |

### Television series

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1992 | Sons and Daughters | Mi-yeon's uncle |
| 1992 | It's You | Yoon Bong-gil |
| 1992 | The Sun Shone Outside the Window | Choi Chang-soo |
| 1993 | 3rd Republic | Park Sang-hee |
| 1993 | Adolescence | Teacher Kim |
| 1993 | Mountain Wind | |
| 1994 | Stranger in Paradise | Myeong-gyu |
| 1994 | My Son's Woman | Jang Han-soo |
| 1995 | Kim Gu | Kim Gu |
| 1995 | Do You Remember Love? | Joo-hyeong |
| 1995 | 4th Republic | Mun Se-gwang |
| 1995 | Men of the Bath House | Kang Ho-joon |
| 1996 | Widow | Lee Jong-sang |
| 1997 | The Mountain | Uncle Woo-tae |
| 1997 | Woman Next Door | Na Kang-woo |
| 1997 | When She Beckons | Kim In-wook |
| 1998 | As We Live Our Lives | |
| 1998 | Lie | Lee Dong-jin |
| 1998 | Hong Gil-dong | Lee Eop |
| 1998 | Crush | Oh Chang-soo |
| 1998 | Paper Crane | Jo Moon-hyeong |
| 1999 | Tomato | Cha Gi-joon |
| 1999 | Ghost | Ji Seung-don |
| 1999 | Sweet Bride | |
| 2000 | Legends of Love | Jeong-hwan |
| 2000 | SWAT Police | Baek Seong-cheol |
| 2002 | The Dawn of the Empire | King Gwangjong |
| 2004 | Human Market | Yoo Ki-ha |
| 2004 | Choice | Lee Hae-joon |
| 2006 | Princess Hours | Crown Prince Lee Soo |
| 2007 | My Husband's Woman | Hong Joon-pyo |
| 2007 | Eight Days, Assassination Attempts against King Jeongjo | King Jeongjo |
| 2008 | Mom's Dead Upset | Na Sam-seok |
| 2010 | Life Is Beautiful | Yang Byung-joon |
| 2011 | City Hunter | Lee Jin-pyo/Steve Lee |
| 2012 | The Chaser | Kang Dong-yoon |
| 2013 | Master's Sun | Mystery Z TV host (cameo, episode 2) |
| 2013 | Golden Rainbow | Kim Han-joo |
| 2014 | A New Leaf | Cha Young-woo |
| 2014 | Doctor Stranger | Park Cheol (Guest) |
| 2014 | Bad Guys | Oh Gu-tak |
| 2015 | The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War | Yu Seong-ryong |
| 2017 | The Rebel | Hong Ah-mo-gae |
| 2019 | The Banker | Noh Dae-ho |
| 2024 | Knight Flower | Seok Ji-sung |

### Hosting

| Year | Title |
| 1998 | Depth! Accident of Human |
| 2008–present | Unanswered Questions |
| 2014 | Super Bike |
| 2021 | The Soldiers |
| 2022 | Somehow Adult 2 |

## Theater

| Year | English title | Korean title | Role | Ref. |
| 2022–2023 | Misery | 미저리 | Paul Sheldon | |

## Awards and nominations

Year presented, name of the award ceremony, award category, nominated work and the result of the nomination :
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
| 1997 | 18th Blue Dragon Film Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Maria and the Inn | Nominated |
| 2000 | 37th Grand Bell Awards | Best New Actor | The Promenade | Nominated |
| 2000 | SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor | Legends of Love, SWAT Police | Won |
| 2000 | SBS Drama Awards | Big Star Award | Legends of Love, SWAT Police | Won |
| 2002 | KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | The Dawn of the Empire | Won |
| 2003 | 39th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | The Dawn of the Empire | Nominated |
| 2006 | 29th Golden Cinematography Awards | Special Jury Prize | My Boss, My Teacher | Won |
| 2007 | 1st Korea Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | My Husband's Woman | Won |
| 2007 | SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in Miniseries | My Husband's Woman | Won |
| 2011 | SBS Drama Awards | Special Award, Actor in a Drama Special | City Hunter | Nominated |
| 2012 | 5th Korea Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | The Chaser | Won |
| 2012 | 1st K-Drama Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor | The Chaser | Nominated |
| 2012 | SBS Entertainment Awards | Achievement Award | Unanswered Questions | Won |
| 2012 | SBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | The Chaser | Won |
| 2013 | MBC Drama Awards | Golden Acting Award, Actor | Golden Rainbow | Won |
| 2014 | 41st Korea Broadcasting Awards | Best Performer, TV Host category | Unanswered Questions | Won |
| 2014 | MBC Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries | A New Leaf | Won |
| 2015 | 4th APAN Star Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War | Won |
| 2015 | KBS Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War | Nominated |
| 2015 | KBS Drama Awards | Excellence Award, Actor in a Serial Drama | The Jingbirok: A Memoir of Imjin War | Nominated |
| 2017 | 10th Korea Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | The Rebel | Won |
| 2017 | 8th Korean Popular Culture Awards | Presidential Recommendation | — | Won |
| 2017 | MBC Drama Awards | Grand Prize (Daesang) | The Rebel | Won |
| 2017 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Monday-Tuesday Drama | The Rebel | Nominated |
| 2017 | MBC Drama Awards | Best Character Award, Fighting Spirit Acting | The Rebel | Nominated |
| 2018 | 54th Baeksang Arts Awards | Best Actor (TV) | The Rebel | Nominated |
| 2019 | MBC Drama Awards | Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Wednesday-Thursday Miniseries | The Banker | Nominated |